There has long been the need for those in animal related industries (including the breeding of livestock, show animals, racing animals and other thoroughbreds) to be able to accurately identify individual animals, either for the purpose of authenticating the animal itself or for identifying the source of animal products and samples. Some of the more commonly used techniques include branding, tattooing, ear tags, ankle straps, chains and transponders, either injectable or on tags or straps. All of these techniques have different costs and success rates associated with them.
The identification of animals is important in many fields of endeavour, including medicine, research, breeding, quality control and environmental technologies. DNA analysis is one technique available for the identification of animals. Identification by way of DNA analysis generally requires removal of a biological sample from the animal and “off-site” laboratory analysis of the sample. Recent cases of infected or contaminated meat products has increased the need to be able to sample large numbers of animals and accurately associate each sample with its source. Furthermore, there is also the need to make this association difficult to break or to be interfered with, so that the source of samples can be correctly and confidently identified.
Modem DNA analysis techniques can be performed on very small samples and can be conducted very quickly. Presently, quality control of biological material and the preparation of genetic genealogy of animals are conducted to an increasing degree with huge numbers of samples. DNA analysis is very sensitive and impurities must be excluded. Furthermore, there is an on-going need to protect samples from DNA-degrading enzymes.
There are many ways of obtaining a sample of DNA from animals. For example, taking biological samples for DNA analysis can involve blood sampling. A skilled practitioner, for example, a vet, is needed for this method of sampling which can become very expensive, especially for large populations.
In cattle breeding, it is known to remove hairs and hair roots and place them into a sample container which is then labelled manually to identify the source of the biological material. This process can be time consuming and there are a number of potential problems that are particularly related to the degree of training of the sampler. These include the potential for falsification of samples, either intentionally or accidentally. Intentional falsification may include the deliberate mislabelling of a sample or placing a sample from one source into a sample container that identifies the sample as having been sourced from a different animal. The above examples of falsification can also occur accidentally.
There is a need for a sampling device that is able to simultaneously register an animal (e.g. provide an identification means such as an ear tag) and take a sample of tissue for analysis, whilst providing a sample container that minimizes the potential for intentional or accidental falsification of samples.
The sampling device of the present invention has one object thereof to overcome substantially the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative thereto.
The preceding discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in Australia as at the priority date of the application.
Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.